Poet Laureate Kannadasan

[NOV]

"Kaviarasu" Kannadasan



Born A. L. Muthiah
June 24, 1927 (1927-06-24) (age 82)
Sirukudalpatti, Tamil Nadu, India

Died October 17, 1981 (aged 54)
Chicago, Illinois, United States

Pen name Karaimuthu Pulavar, Vanangamudi, Kamakappriya, Parvathi Nathan, Arokkiya Saamy

Occupation poet, novelist, lyricist, politician, film producer, editor

Nationality Indian
Citizenship Indian

Notable award(s) National Film Award for Best Lyrics
1961 Kuzhanthaikkaga

Sahitya Akademi Award
1980 Cheraman Kadali

Spouse(s) Ponnazhagi
Parvathi
Children 13

Mahendra raj on Kannadasan

[NOV]

Kannadasan was born in Sirukudalpatti, near Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India as Muthiah. But when he died at the age of 54, on October 16, 1981, millions of Tamils remembered him only by the name Kannadasan. For Tamils all over the world, he epitomised their poetry style. Even those who couldn't read the poetry of Kamban or the maxims of Valluvan, could hum the compositions of poet Kannadasan.

Frequently called Kaviarasu (English: King of Poets), Kannadasan was most familiar for his song lyrics in Tamil films and contributed around 5000 lyrics besides 6000 poems and 232 books, including novels, epics, plays, essays, his most popular being the 10-part religious essay on Hinduism, captioned Arthamulla Indhumatham (English: Meaningful Hinduism).

He won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Cheraman Kadali in the year 1980 and was the first ever to receive the National Film Award for Best Lyrics, given in 1969 for the film Kuzhanthaikkaga.

There is no doubt that he had a penetrating eye and keen observational powers. He also did not live a cocoon-type of life. He dipped into everything that Tamil Nadu could offer - wine, women, drugs, politics, polemics, atheism and religious sanctuary. After enjoying everything, what he did was remarkable - he composed verses about all his experiences, with reflective self-deprecating humour, irony, and biting sarcasm. These verses touched the sympathetic chords of Tamils from all walks of life - school boys, undergrads, housewives, farmers, manual labourers, plantation workers, middle class representatives and even upper class elites.

[groucho070]

This man is a genius...a troubled genius, but genius nevertheless. If he was born in US, there'd be hundreds of books, revised biographies, and films with leading stars winning multiple award and more upcoming projects with actors killing each other to get the main role. Inggey ennanaa

Come to think of it, he had written enough dirt on himself that there will be not much to cover for biographers. What a loss to the industry, to go at that age.

[NOV]

You said it Rakesh. But whatever age he had gone, it would have been a loss. Can you imagine that even at 54, he could come up something gfresh like kannE kalaimaanE!

He will forever be remembered as a common man's poet - who brought literary works to easy understanding.

[groucho070]

I suppose we can share here the famous behind the scene tales. Some we can import from Murali-sar and previously Manisegaran-sir's posting here. For example, MSV's recount of "Avanukkenna Toonggivittaan, agapattavan naanallava"

[NOV]

ondraa irandaa eduththu solla?

almost 50% of his songs are based on real-life incidents.

avanukenna thoongivittaan
pOnaal pOgattum pOdaa
annan ennadaa thambi ennadaa
annan kaattiya vazhiyamma
ettadukku maaligaiyil
andha sivagaamiyin maganidam

appadi adikki kondE pOgalaam

[groucho070]

You know what...only today I noticed that Padalgal Palavitham thread is back active. Curse me for not checking (I'm kidding, saabam vituratheyngga). Got to start reading.

Edit:
Oops It's a revived one. But good to reread nevertheless, being that my memory is bad.

[mgb]

Can you imagine that even at 54, he could come up something gfresh like kannE kalaimaanE!

This was written by him while going on the car to the meenambakkam airport for departing to USA and ultimately departing forever
Ilayaraaja accompanied him to the airport and in the car he gave the tune and song was ready in less than 10 mins.. additionally kavignar gave a pathos version of the song also which he felt might be required and in case if he is not in a position to write later this was used by Ilayaraajaa at the end of the film.

[mgb]

velan.. indha thread'la ennalaam discuss pannalaamnu sollunga :P

[groucho070]

I don't read his fictional novels. I've read only non-fictional ones, including all the ten volumes of Arthamulla Hindu matham, Vanavaasam/Manavaasam, a couple of poetry collection. That is all I know, and of course his contribution to cinema (don't forget he wrote the script/dialogues for many films including MGR's Nadodi Mannan).

So, how does he rate as a novelist, in comparison with other full time novelists?